Himachal Govt can demote 23 forest officials

Himachal Pradesh government is mulling to demote 23 Indian Forest Services (IFS) officers, who were promoted by the previous BJP government.

The IFS officers were promoted as additional principal chief conservator of forests. A senior government official revealed that the Congress led State government has taken a decision to demote them as they were promoted by violating the rules.

Forest Minister Thakur Singh Bharmouri said that the government has twice sought legal opinion and it was averse to the officers’ promotions and now there is no problem in reverting them.

Earlier, previous government had promoted 30 IFS officers, all of them from the 1984 and 1985 IFS batch, against seven posts. They were promoted in two batches in July and August last year.

Even the central government has raised objections to increasing the posts of additional principal chief conservator of forests to 32, an all-time high in the state and much higher compared to big states like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.

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